For the baseball fan, September is a sweet (or bittersweet) time of the year. As a Detroit Tigers fan, I've been accustomed to more of the latter. But the pennant race is on, and both my Tigers and my Colorado Rockies are in the thick of things.
An interesting tidbit today from a Rasmussen survey of baseball fans:Fans of the Detroit Tigers are now the second most confident fans, with 68% who think their team will win a World Series title this year. Overall, only 4% of all baseball fans think the Tigers will win. The Tigers currently lead the AL Central division by 3.5 games. … [Read more...]

Mercifully, for the sake of fellow blogger Civil Sense, I haven't harped on the American League Central race in awhile. But the All-Star break is upon us, and a good time for reflection on the standings:
1. Detroit Tigers 48-39 --
2. Chicago White Sox 45-43 3.5 GB
3. Minnesota Twins 45-44 4 GB
4. Kansas City Royals 37-51 11.5 GB
5. Cleveland Indians 35-54 14 GB
It's not looking good for the Indians, especially after the symbolic 10-1 spanking Detroit delivered to them this afternoon.
GO TIGERS! … [Read more...]

Are you looking for a good summertime fiction read? A fresh story in the fantasy/action genre that is simultaneously fast-paced and in-depth? Then I urge you to buy a copy of The Way of Shadows, the first in the Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks.
I love to read, but the fantasy/action genre -- nor fiction in general -- is typically not my cup of tea. Then again seldom do I know the author personally, as in this case. Brent and I went to Hillsdale College together, are fellow Sinfonians.
Having that sort of a personal connection with the author made it easy to pick up the book. But once I did, the crisp and colorful storytelling, the unpredictable plot, and the compelling characters were what kept the pages and chapters quickly … [Read more...]

It's been a couple weeks since my last update on the baseball season for Civil Sense.
A great piece in yesterday's Detroit News recounts the amazing feat of the 1984 Tigers' 35-5 start. A quarter century later, this year's Detroit squad is nowhere near the caliber of dominance of the franchise's last world champions.
But the Tigers -- winners of six straight -- are like their 1984 predecessors in that they are in first place at the 40-game mark of the season. In this case, 8.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Indians.
Happy Friday! … [Read more...]

I have a friendly rivalry going this season with blogger Civil Sense from The Colorado Index. Today seemed like a good a time as any to point it out. Baseball is a long season, but his Cleveland Indians have slipped to the worst record in the Major Leagues after back-to-back home shutout losses to my Detroit Tigers.
Tonight's 4-0 victory was great, but the finish couldn't match the 1-0 thriller on Friday -- when Tigers ace Justin Verlander carried his two-hit shutout into the ninth inning. Grady Sizemore came to the plate with one on and one out when ... well, watch for yourself:
Yep, that's my boy: Curtis Granderson. And my Detroit Tigers a game out of first place and six games ahead of Cleveland. Ouch, Civil Sense. Ouch. (It … [Read more...]

El Presidente has posted video of the Denver Tax Day Tea Party, but the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel has the video coverage of Colorado's largest Western Slope gathering.
The apparent highlight of the event was the rousing speech of Ryan Frazier, who also announced a formal step toward a U.S. Senate campaign (watch the video below the fold): … [Read more...]

"Breaking" news from the Dead Governors: Marc Holtzman won't be running for governor.
Hey, don't yawn at me like that. -- Oh, I see ... you're yawning at their headline? -- So what you're trying to say is the Dead Guvs aren't exactly the source of breaking news for things happening on the Republican side of the aisle here in Colorado? -- Okay, okay, call me Captain Obvious. But I'm not the only one around here....
Sources also have shared with Mt. Virtus a sneak peek at some possible upcoming headlines from the Democrat Pols blog:Breaking: Bill Owens Says He Doesn't Want Governor's Job Again
Breaking: Jane Norton 'Not in the Mix' to Take On Ritter
Breaking: Bruce Benson to Stay at CU, Won't Vie for Governor's … [Read more...]

Snow is on the ground, but the Major League Baseball regular season is here. Hopes are renewed. Leading up to the season, Michael at Best Destiny has featured his takes on the best baseball movies ever. I largely concur with his opinions.
As a Detroit Tigers fan, I consider myself sufficiently humbled after last year's crash from the plateau of high expectations -- a crash of epic proportions. This year the team looks somewhat different, definitely younger, and based on significant uncertainty in the bullpen could finish almost anywhere in the division.
But it's April 6, and I'm hoping for the best.
As for the hometown Colorado Rockies (my National League team), they likewise are relieved of the burden of high expectations. In a … [Read more...]

I was looking forward to visiting my parents this summer near Grand Rapids, Michigan -- maybe catching some minor league baseball action. Now I know there's a genuinely tempting challenge involved, I'll have to make a point of going to Fifth Third Ballpark.
4,800 calories? Methinks it's not on the Weight Watchers plan. But a reason to miss the state of my birth? Perhaps. … [Read more...]